Error code 103: invalid ZIP file

What the code means

The EBA can't process your ZIP file as a valid package. The package is rejected on receipt, so the content of your register has not been checked yet.

Code 103 is a reception check on the consistency of the ZIP file (EBA (opens in a new tab)). The message that comes with it names the exact reason. The AFM quotes the variant "Invalid ZIP file, […] folder not matching ZIP filename […]" (AFM Q&A (opens in a new tab)). The EBA's sample responses show another: "Invalid ZIP file as it contains invalid instance file extension: txt" (EBA (opens in a new tab)).

Typical cause

Most often the ZIP file has a different name from the folder inside it. The ZIP file name must match the name of the folder it contains (AFM Q&A (opens in a new tab)).

• Resubmission: the timestamp in the ZIP file name was changed, but the folder still has the name from the previous submission. A resubmission needs a new timestamp (AFM (opens in a new tab)).
• Renamed file: the ZIP file was renamed after it was built.
• Wrong file type: the package contains a file with an unexpected extension, such as a .txt file.
• Damaged file: the ZIP file is incomplete or doesn't unzip correctly.

How to fix it

There is nothing to fix in the Excel workbook: the error is in the ZIP file. Build the package again, so the ZIP file and the folder get the same name with a new timestamp.

1. Don't rename an existing package by hand. Build it again.
2. Check that the folder inside the ZIP has exactly the ZIP file's name, without .zip.
3. Check that it holds only the files listed in the AFM filing guide.
4. Upload the ZIP file as it was built, without unzipping and re-zipping it.

Does DORA Convert catch it before you file?

Yes, for packages DORA Convert builds. We create the ZIP file ourselves, with one folder named exactly like the ZIP file. Every build gets a new timestamp. Before you can download the package, we check it again: the ZIP must unzip correctly and contain exactly one folder with the package name. If that check fails, we don't offer the package.

We can't see what happens to the file after download. If you rename or re-zip it, code 103 can still occur.

Related codes

• 720: extra or unexpected files in the package.
• 701: required files are missing.
• The other reception checks, such as the file-name pattern: reception checks.